Magnetic memo holders



MAGNETIC MEMO HOLDERS Filed July 9, 1954 FIG.|.

,Zh'venror Oren E.Whitwell ATTK Unid States Patent f MAGNETIC MEMO HOLDERS Oren E. Whitwell, Denver, Colo.

Application July 9, 1954, Serial No. 442,358

2 Claims. (Cl. 281-15) This invention relates to a magnetic pad holder. The holder is of the type that may be placed on a metallic surface and held thereon.

Various pad holders have been devised so that the holders may be positioned on various types of metallic surfaces. The main objections to these types of holders are that a nail, screw or the like must be driven into the metallic surface so the holder may be secured thereto. This necessarily mars the surface and eventually the nail, screw or the like becomes loose.

It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide a pad holder that may be secured to any suitable metallic surface without the use of nails, screws, clips and the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pad holder in which a magnet may be placed to secure the holder to any suitable metallic surface and placed within easy reach of the user.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pad holder with pockets therein to receive a conventional memo pad and also slender articles such as pencils, pens, small pocket knives, nail files and the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a magnetic pad holder that will prevent the memo pad from falling out of the holder when the holder is placed in a non-vertical position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a magnetic pad holder whose ends are efiectively secured together to make a tight seal and thereby prevent the ends from coming apart.

A further object of the invention is to provide a magnetic pad holder that is simple in construction and of a lightweight material, and which is attractive in appearance.

Although, as stated above, a conventional memo pad may be placed in the magnetic pad holder, it is to be understood that other types of pads may be used. A bank deposit slip pad, for example, could be placed in the holder which could be conveniently placed on an automobile dash and be readily accessible in the drive-in type of banking which has become so popular throughout the country in recent years. Salesmens order slips, bridge score card pads and the like are other types of pads that also could be used.

These objects can be realized by a pad holder made of two sheets of material back to back and secured around their edges, with a slit in one sheet into which the cardboard back of a pad can be inserted. Above the upper end of the pad, a bulge is formed to prevent the pad from falling out of place. The bulge extends transversely of the sheet of material and is gracefully curved as a result of a pocket being made between the sheets for housing a bar magnet that is longer than wide and of less length than the pocket. The relative stiffness of the sheeted material plus the shape of the bar magnet contribute to the height of the bulge being greater than the thickness of the pad as well as to the curvature of the bulge. With the magnet in place, the pad holder not only will cling 2,770,472 Patented Nov. 13, 1956 to a metal surface but it can be thrown against the surface to adhere thereto. Features of advantage also flow from the manner of securing the edges of the sheeted material as well as to how the pocket for the magnet is formed.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the magnetic pad holder.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the magnetic pad holder taken along line II-II of Fig. 1 showing the holder mounted on a metallic surface.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the magnetic pad holder taken along line III--III of Fig. 1 showing a pencil mounted in one of the pockets and the magnet enclosed in the holder.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken along line IV-IV of Fig. 1 showing a pencil mounted in one of the pockets and a fragmentary section of the memo pad.

Fig. 5 is a vertical fragmentary section taken along line V-V of Fig. 1 showing the ends of the two sections of the magnetic pad holder joined together.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal fragmentary section taken along VI-VI of Fig. 1 showing the two sections of the magnetic pad holder joined together to form a pocket for the magnet.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the magnet which is mounted in the holder.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the detailed construction of the magnetic pad holder designated generally by the letter A will now be described. The magnetic pad holder A has front and rear panels 1 and 2 preferably of a plastic material and are substantially rectangular in shape having rounded corners 3. The marginal edges 5 and 6 of the panels 1 and 2 respectively are secured together by heat sealing as best shown in detail in Fig. 5 leaving an enclosed space between the panels 1 and 2. The outside face of panel 1 may or may not be ornamented as shown at 7 in Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 5 which shows in detail the panels 1 and 2 joined together at their marginal edges 5 and 6 respectively. These edges are joined together by placing panel 1 on top of panel 2 and heat and pressure sealing along the generally U shaped depression 7 of panel 1, the details of the heat sealing operation not being shown and forming no part of this invention. The depression 7 terminates in a bulbous portion 5 which forms the edge of panel 1. The edge 6 of panel 2 curves slightly upwardly following the lower contour of bulbous portion 5 at 8, and thus effects a good seal between the edges 5 and 6, and results in more surface contact between these edges causing them to be securely held together.

To mount pad P on the magnetic pad holder A the panel 1. is horizontally slotted adjacent its upper end generally designated at 9 of Fig. l. The slot 9 covers the greater portion of the width of panel 1 and the ends of the slot 9 terminate equidistant from the end 5 of the panel 1. The back B of a pad may then be placed through this slot and positioned parallel with the panels 1 and 2, with the writing part of the pad P parallel with the panels 1 and 2 and mounted on the outside face of panel 1 as best shown in Fig. 2. Panel 1 is also horizontally slotted at 10 and 11 of Fig. 1 to form pockets D and E between the panels 1 and 2 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. These slots are located slightly above the horizontal centerline of the panel 1 and are located between the sides 12 and 13 of the pad P and the edges 5 of panel 1 respectively. The slots permit a pencil S, or any other slender articles such as pens, small pocket knives, nail files and the like, to be inserted in pockets D and E in the magnetic pad holder A formed by the inside faces of panels 1 and 2 respectively as best shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4.

The magnet M of Fig. 7 is enclosed centrally of the magnetic pad holder A adjacent the top of the holder in a pocket C formed between the panels 1 and 2 as best seen in Fig. 3. The magnet is generally rectangular in cross section and oblong, and has upper and lower jagged sides 28, and top and bottom flat sides 26 which are sub stantially smooth, and sides 25 which terminate in bevel corners 27 on the top side 26. The jagged sides 28 are adapted to aid in frictionally holding the magnet normally substantially immovable in the pocket C. The beveled corners 27 serve to contribute to the gracefulness of the bulge of the Pocket C and thus give the exterior of the pocket a smooth curve as best seen in Pig. 2. The magnet is preferably an alnico magnet which is designed to provide concentration of magnetic flux lines on the fiat sides 26 to provide maximum holding power with a minimum size magnet and also prevent tearing or excessive wear or stress in the material over the magnet.

As best shown in Fig. l and Fig. 6 the pocket C is formed by heat and pressure sealing the panels 1 and 2 together by a generally U shaped depression 14 of panel 1. This depression is made along a line generally designated 15 on the face of panel 1 which is substantially U shaped as shown in Fig. 1. As best seen in Fig. 2 at 16 the outside face of panel 1 formed by the sealing U shaped depression 14 is groove-like in cross section and as a result bulges, swells or curves outwardly from panel 2. This outwardly bulging portion 16 serves to prevent the pad P from falling out of the magnetic pad holder A and as best seen in Fig. 2 if the magnetic pad holder A is held in a non-vertical position or even an upside down position the top 17 of the pad P will strike the portion 15 at 18 and thus be prevented from falling out of the magnetic pad holder A. In Fig. 2 the magnetic pad holder A is shown in an upright position but it can be easily seen that, if the holder is turned upside down, the pad A will not fall out of the holder.

From the horizontal portion 15 of the U shaped line 15 down to the top edge of the slot 9 at 19 and between the dotted lines 20 the panel 1 is completely heat sealed to the panel 2. This is done to prevent the edge 19 from turning up or fraying whenever the back B of the memo pad P is removed through the slot 9.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the magnetic pad holder A may be placed on or even thrown against a metallic surface 21, whereupon as shown in Fig. 2, it is held thereon by the magnet M. Meanwhile, the pad cannot easily be dislodged longitudinally due to the bulge offered thereto by the magnet in its pocket. Yet the Whole device is simple in construction and easily as well as cheaply made.

As this invention may be embodiedin several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, the present embodiment is, therefore, illustrative and not restrictive, since the-scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than by the dcseription preceding them, and all changes that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims or that form their functional as Well as conjointly cooperative equivalents, are therefore intended to be embraced by those claims.

I claim:

1. A holder for magnetic attachment to a metal surface and adapted to hold a relatively stiff article such as a pad, which comprises a face panel and a back panel of flexible plastic material, said face and back panels being sealingly joined completely around their marginal edges to present a forwardly extending continuous bead around the margin and which bead is of a thickness greater than the thickness of either of the panels so as to provide a rigidifying marginal frame therefor, and there being a groove-like depression in the face panel immediately adjacent to and inboard of said head and extending continuously around the margin of the face panel to provide an area in the face panel of less cross sectional thickness than the remainder of the panel whereby that portion of the panel lying inwardly from the bead and from the groove is gathered and puckered to stand away from the adjacent surface of the back panel, said face panel having a narrow elongate opening therein substantially parallel to one edge thereof to receive a relatively stiff article such as the backing of a pad, and there being a second groove-like seal intermediate said opening and said one side of the panel with which the opening is parallel, said second seal defining, with a marginal portion of the first mentioned seal, a rectangular area wherein the first seal forms one side and the second seal forms the other three sides, and said second seal forming a groove in the face panel and flattening the same throughout so as to further pucker and spring away the material of the face panel within the confines of the second groove to form a magnet pocket and leaving the back panel substantially flat, and an elongate magnet positioned within said pocket, said magnet having beveled opposite side edges extending parallel to said marginal portion of the first mentioned groove forming one boundary of the pocket and said beveled edges being disposed in opposed relation to the inner surface of the front panel portion of the pocket whereby to obviate puncture of the face panel by the magnet.

2. A holder for magnetic attachment to a metal surface and adapted to hold a relatively stiff article such as a pad, which comprises a face panel and a back panel, each of flexible plastic material, said face and back panels being sealingly joined completely around their marginal edges to present a forwardly extending continuous bead around the margin and which bead is of a thickness greater than the thickness of either of the panels so as to provide a reinforcing marginal frame therefor, and there being a groove-like depression in said face panel immediately inboard of said bead and extending continuously around the margin of the face panel to provide a flattened area in the face panel of less cross sectional thickness than the remainder of the panel whereby that portion of the face panel encompassed by said depression is bulged slightly away from the back panel While the back panel remains substantially flat, said face panel having a narrow, elongate opening therein substantially parallel to one edge thereof to receive a relatively stiff article such as the backing of a pad, and said front and back panels being sealingly joined along a line joined at its opposite ends with the first mentioned seal to provide an elongate closed pocket between said opening and said one edge of the panels with the longitudinal axis of said pocket being parallel to said opening, the portion of said front panel defining said pocket being bulged away from the flat back panel by an amount much greater than the bulge of the remaining portion of the front panel to provide an abutment stop to retain articles confined between the panels, and an' elongate magnet positioned within said pocket longitudinally thereof, said magnet having beveled opposite side edges opposed to the inner face of said front panel and being substantially shorter in length than said pocket whereby the sharp corners of said magnet contact the inner surface of said front panel a substantial distance from the ends of said pocket to hold the magnet in place but prevent the penetration of such corners through the material of the panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 597,481 Graham Ian. 18, 1898 1,683,645 Abbey Sept. 11, 1928 2,301,449 Penny Nov. 10, 194-2 2,319,292 Boggs May 18, 1943 2,516,809 Soderberg July 25, 1950 2,590,618 Hodkin Mar. 25, 1952 2,603,507 Kensey July 15, 1952 2,641,793 Wilm June 16, 1953 2,678,833 Loeb May 18, 1954 

